The Center of my World - Prologue
Usagi-chan
Usagi@tuxedomask.com
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Island/4602/
I don’t own Sailormoon or anything pertaining to
E-mail me!
“Five hundred and forty two.” Serena looked hopefully up at her fiancé.
The pair were seated in the church office counting the donation money from that
day’s service.
“Its not enough.” David told her with a sigh. “We aren’t going to
cover the church expenses.”
“What are we going to do?” Serena knew her fiancé was worried. If the
donation money didn’t cover the church expenses, the money had to come from
David’s already small salary, and both were saving desperately for the wedding.
“I don’t know.” David shook his head. “I want to give you a big wedding,
but the church...”
“Comes first.” Serena nodded. “David, I don’t need a big wedding. I love
you, and that’s enough.”
She smiled at the gentle man whose stunning good looks always caught her
attention. His blond hair and pale blue eyes complimented hers exactly.
“Oh Serena, I love you too. I don’t know what I did to deserve an angel
like you.” David smiled lovingly at her. Serena giggled.
“Well, you are a minister.” David chuckled, though his face sobered
quickly.
“I still don’t know what we’re going to do.” He told her.
“We could find an outside source of sponsorship. Corporate maybe.” Serena
suggested.
“Maybe...” David nodded. Serena glanced at her watch.
“Oh no! I’m gonna be late!” She jumped up, grabbed her bag and was halfway
out the door when David called after her.
“Serena! Wait.” He stepped around the large desk and stood in front of
her. “Have a good day.” He kissed her gently on the lips. Serena dashed down
the hall to her car, parked in the small church parking lot.
Grateful that her text books were already in her car, Serena started her
car. The white Toyota had been a gift from her parents on her twenty second
birthday. David’s gift had been the sparkling engagement ring she wore now.
Driving towards the small university, Serena’s thoughts were focused on the
problem. Her family wasn’t rich enough to subsidize an entire church as well as
her younger brother at university. There was no way she could ask them to help
cover the costs, and David’s only remaining family was his father whom they had
put in a home some time ago.
With a sigh, she pulled into the university parking lot and grabbed her
text books. The class she had was an English prep class. She was studying to
be a high school English teacher. In her final year, Serena had two months left
of school before she could get a job to support her soon-to-be family.
Throughout the entire lecture, Serena found her thoughts drifting back to
David and the church. She knew that once they were married, the church would
consume their lives, and she would have less time to spend with her friends, but
she would have David, and she was sure that was enough. She would also have the
church. The church was David’s life, his entire world, making it pretty near
the top of Serena’s list of priorities.
Once her class had finished, the pretty blond gathered her papers and books
and headed back towards her car. She walked along the nearly empty corridor,
hugging her books to her chest, deep in thought.
“Hey Serena! Want a second!” Someone called. Serena turned to see an
athletic man jogging towards her.
“Hi Brad.” She smiled.
“Where are you headed?” He asked as the pair continued walking down the
hallway.
“My car, then home. I have some work to do.” She replied. “What about
you?”
“Nothing special.” Brad shrugged.
“Oh. Well, here’s my car.” Serena stuck her key in and unlocked her door.
“I’ll see you next week?”
“Yeah, sure.” Brad smiled and shut Serena’s door once she had gotten in.
With a final wave, Serena drove away.
“David! I’m back!” Serena called as she entered the small house. Built on
church property, the house had come with the job. Hearing nothing, Serena
assumed he was still in the church. Depositing her school bag, Serena headed
out again.
This time, she walked along the stone path that led to one of the less
frequently used doors and went inside.
“David.” She spoke softly from the office door. David looked up, startled
at the sound of her voice.
“Serena.” David set the paper he had been reading
aside. “How was school?”
“Fine.” Serena could tell there was something bothering him. “Have you
thought about the church money?”
“Yeah, a bit.” He replied. “I think our best bet is sponsorship.”
“Corporate sponsorship?” Serena asked, sitting down across from David. Her
looked at her nervously before shaking his head.
“No. Donation, from a single source.” David tossed the newspaper he had
been reading to Serena. The headline read ‘Multi-millionaire Darien Shields;
Another Take Over’.
“I don’t understand.” Serena looked up at him. “You want Darien Shields to
fund the church?”
“He has the money to.” David replied.
“But would he? He’s always doing hostile takeovers! He doesn’t care about
the little guy, and David, we’re the little guy.” Serena told him.
“I know Serena, but...” David’s gaze moved over Serena, taking in her 5’9”
frame and long blond hair. Her delicate blue eyes widened as he stared at her.
Her delicate features held a look of confusion.
“We have a secret weapon.” He told her. “You.”
“I... I don’t understand.” Serena replied. David smiled wistfully.
“I don’t want to ask this of you, but...” David sighed.
“It’s for the church, and for you. If I can help, just tell me what to
do.” Serena told him, trust filling her eyes.
“I want you to find Darien Shields and seduce him.”
Serena sat in her living room twirling a pen carefully between her thumb
and index finger. A pad of yellow paper covered in doodles sat on the couch
next to her. She sighed and set the pen down.
She reached over to the table next to her to pick up
the phone to call David. She felt bad for storming out on him, especially since
she had told him to just ask what ever was on his mind. But she hadn’t expected
that! She never knew David to ever even think that way, let alone suggest that
she go out and do something like that.
But still, she couldn’t hold it against him. Especially not after the look
of distress she saw on his face before she slammed the door.
As she was about to pick up the telephone, it rang.
“Hello?” She asked.
“Serena?” It was David.
“Hi David.” She said softly.
“Serena, I’m really sorry about what happened earlier. Just forget about
it, okay? I had no right to ask that of you.”
“Actually David, I was about to call you...” Serena
smiled slightly. “I understand why you did it David. I mean, your life
revolves around the church. It’s everything to you, and that makes it
everything to me.”
“What do you mean, Serena?” David asked.
“I love you so much David. If you want me to do this, then...” Serena
paused to inhale a deep breath. “Then, David, I’ll do it.”
Author Notes: Dum dum dum... What will happen next? This is the first time
I’ve ever included author notes. Hee hee hee... I want to thank everyone on
SMRFF including Turtle, Klutz and everyone else who ever encourages me to write.
It really means a lot to me. Also, oodles of thanks to Minako-chan, for always
being there for me. I love ya girl! Your like a sister to me!
(
geocities.com/tokyo/villa/Villa/1931) (
geocities.com/tokyo/villa/Villa) (
geocities.com/tokyo/villa) (
geocities.com/tokyo)